One desire
by KrystalFlare
Summary: Yōko Kurama... the most feared thief in the Makai. Nozomi... an innocent and untainted girl. When fate decides that their paths must cross and their personalities must collide head-on... will she survive, or will he change? Yōko Kurama/OC
1. Easy mission

Sooo so so so so so... here I am with a new story. Hopefully this will make amends for all those of you lovely readers who are waiting for an update on _Haunting past_, which I have a MAJOR writer's block for -_-

Hope you'll all love this new story which features your favorite fox-youkai, as much as you loved the other one. For the moment I won't try to continue the other story, because my head is brimming with ideas for this one and I don't want to lose them along the way.

One more thing before I let y'all get to reading. Since I've had some of my friends ask me to try my hand at inserting my OC into the actual series, you can consider this story as a sort of prelude to the whole thing. Basically there WILL be a sequel which will consist of the series itself with my OC. I'm not telling you how I'll insert my OC, why spoil the surprise? ;)

Anyway, read on my lovelies and let me know how much you love/hate/drool over it (you know you do, fangirls xD)

P.S. All _YuYu Hakusho_ characters belong to Yoshihiro Togashi~ :)

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**1. Easy mission**

Along with the thunder rolling in the sky, two slim figures in white stepped through the cavernous tunnel connecting the small enclosed circle to the rest of the Makai. Down in the little valley protected by high walls of stone, several camp fires burned amidst dark gray tents. Upon setting foot out of the tunnel, the two who were dragging a third youkai along, were greeted by another young man wearing identical clothes.

"I see you brought Kurama a new toy, Nari." he smirked, revealing his pearly white fangs.

Silently, the dark haired youkai motioned his equally wordless, blue haired companion toward the path leading down into the valley, ignoring their captive's begging session. Once down, they both dragged the prisoner to the middle of the camp, shoving him onto his knees before Kurama's tent. It was then that Nari finally spoke, while his companion held a dagger to their prisoner's throat.

"Kurama, we found this little trash snooping around here. I thought you might want to have some fun."

Kurama had been silently seated near one of the fires, apparently in meditation, only opening his golden eyes when they had stepped before him. Setting his oculars on the other without a word, he lifted a rose, which gained length and shape to take on the appearance of a thorny whip. Taking to his feet, he did finally call to Nari.

"Turn him around and restrain him... I would hate for him to squirm and make me hit something vital, before I've had my fill."

His tones carried a feigned concern for the other, whilst he waited. Of course, he was going to kill him no matter what, but he had certain destructive urges that this one would serve. While Nari and Kirin now forcefully turned the youkai with his back to Kurama, their victim once again found his voice.

"P-please... I beg of you! Spare me!"

"No one's gonna help you, boy..." Kirin grinned darkly. "You can't go snooping around a den of thieves and expect to go home alive."

Ripping off the shirt that covered the youkai's scaly body both he and Nari now fell silent, so as to allow Kurama to thoroughly enjoy his new toy. Looking over his shoulder to Kurama, the prisoner again began speaking

"N-no, please... you're that famous thief, aren't you? Yōko Kurama! Please, spare me! I'll do anything..."

Kurama contemplated the words that reached him, his right ear ever so slightly twitching, though he kept his weapon wielding arm prepared.

"...Tell me who sent you, give me something to equal the value of your life, and I can spare you."

Yes, he hadn't said he would. It was a trap he often used to lure victims into giving him information, before doing away with them anyway. Turning him to face Kurama again, Nari and Kirin shoved the youkai's face into the dirt. He'd had his fill of looking upon their leader, without being permitted to do so. Remaining in that bowing position, the trembling youkai gulped.

"No one sent me; I was on my way back to Yoichi-sama's castle."

Falling silent he now racked his mind to find some way out of that. What would Kurama find valuable enough to spare him? His reputation as a thief was well known, as was his interest for rare and powerful artifacts.

"My master... he keeps a rare item in his castle. I'm a mere servant there, so I don't know what it is. But rumor's been going around that it's very powerful."

Kurama's brow twitched up at that nonspecific clue, though he went quiet until it seemed as if he would never answer at all.

"...Nari. Take him to Masuna's camp. Tell him to consider it a friendly offering from me. He'll know exactly what I mean by it."

Kurama himself saw that lifestyle with neutral eyes, since he wasn't one to judge what others did with their own bodies. Besides, from what he had seen, two men could fall in love just fine and stay together in a lifelong relationship. When Nari grasped his arm and dragged him away, the youkai finally realized the trap he'd fallen into. With his screams fading into nothingness once Nari had vanished from the spot, Kirin was left to stand before their leader.

"Kurama-sama... it might be a trap."

There were many headhunters after them, he knew that much. Perhaps he had spoken the obvious to Kurama, as he seemed to do more often than not, but seeing Kurama captured or killed was the very last thing he wished to witness.

"As can be said of everything we are told, Kirin... the life of a thief is one of constant risks. Send a scout to follow the scent trail of that alleged servant back to his master."

That, however, meant that they would not be going as of that evening. They would go tomorrow, which only meant one thing...

"Tonight, we will feast. After that, we shall descend on the women of the nearby village. Tomorrow... we strike."

Nodding, the boy now rushed off to inform one of their many scouts of Kurama's order. The following morning, however, found the thieves asleep inside their tents, most of them along with one or more women. They would release them later on, as Kurama never kept women in their camp. And given how easy they were to seduce and how they always slept with them willingly, he saw no need to kill them afterwards. Of course, the rule was that women, unlike the loot they plundered, were not common property. Any thief who wanted a woman could get her for himself, without having to share her. There was, however, a rumor that Kurama had seduced more than a thousand women by then. No one knew if it was true since he had never given an answer when questioned about that, but it was one of the many reasons for his men to look up to and respect him.

It didn't take long for a woman to leave Kurama's tent, followed by another then a few more. Many of the thieves' jaws dropped when they counted the six women who had headed from their leader's tent, toward the exit of the camp. As always, he had released them for immediate return to their homes, as he knew they had daily lives and tasks of their own to fulfill. They would simply be much clearer as far as their minds went, and they would have good memories of a certain handsome outlaw.

"What are you all gawking at, you punks?"

Nari's stern voice almost immediately dispersed the gathered men, aside from Kirin who was always to be found near Kurama. His veneration for their leader had some of the thieves wondering if perhaps the boy was in love with the fox-youkai, whereas in reality Kirin only offered his sincere adoration. Not many could boast that Kurama had saved their lives and taken them in as children, but Kirin was one of those few. It wasn't long before the male left his tent, and exhaled a sigh. Indeed, he felt so much better.

"Nari... do you have the scout's report?"

After this, if the item were indeed so valuable, they would be able to stop stealing for a while and simply enjoy a relatively calm existence. Crossing his arms, the man offered him a sly smile.

"I have it. And you should learn to have some restraint on that lust of yours. It's gonna be the end of you one day, mark my words."

Being older than Kurama himself and having been in the gang from the very start, he was among the extremely few there who were allowed to criticize the silver haired youkai. Turning serious afterwards, he ran a hand through his raven strands, in between the two horns protruding on the sides of his head.

"The scout said it doesn't look like they're expecting us. There were no bounty hunters around and no traps. He counted fifty servants, the ruler and his wife, and thirty guards. He couldn't see the item that youkai spoke of, but he picked up an unusual youki in the northern tower. I assume that's where they keep said item. It'll be an easy mission, for a thing of such apparent importance."

Obviously pleased with the detailed report, Nari now pondered on what he had just said.

"Kurama... I doubt this item is as important or as powerful as that scum made it out to be. Do you really want us to go and take it?"

While Kurama did not offer a smile, there was a glint in his golden ocular that spoke of his appreciation of Nari's humor.

"Just because it may not be important to us, does not mean that it lacks value in the eyes of its current owner, or others. If it does not serve us, we can hold it for ransom, or sell it to the highest bidder. Either way, the chance that we will gain from this is great, so it is an opportunity we cannot ignore."

"Very well... I'll have the men ready by nightfall."

Which meant that he would start preparations for the mission right after breakfast. Motioning Kirin to follow, he left Kurama to his own business. He knew the boy's eagerness to be useful to the fox-youkai, but Kurama still considered him to be a child. He would probably not choose to rely on Kirin for at least another couple of centuries. Of course, they did have warm up exercises for both their minds and bodies, which they undertook before work; something quite different from what most did, which would merely be called sparring. Kurama forced his men to play games to stimulate their minds before receiving the report and their personal assignments, devoting more of their numbers than usual to creating diversions to scatter the enemy force. While that was going on, Kurama himself would infiltrate the tower with Nari and a few others to grab their prize and disappear into the poorly lit night. Later that day, he was leading them along, everyone gathered together with their senses alert. This was best, since it prevented an ambush.

By then Nozomi was seated at the window of her small room in the tower, watching two sparrows pecking at the breadcrumbs she'd set on the windowsill. Startled by the thunder rolling in the cloudy sky, she averted her gaze over the barren wastelands stretching beyond the castle walls, just in time to see the beautiful silvery glow that lightning cast upon the realm for but a second. With the birds flying away in fright she was left to her loneliness, as usual, now watching the sky and enjoying the winds that picked up in preparation for the storm that seemed to be near. She could see no one from that window and no one could see her. She still didn't know why her father had decided to keep her locked up in that room, but he and her mother were the only people she'd ever seen. Even as she now gazed onward with a calm expression, a lone tear trickled down her cheek. She so longed to be free like the breeze that caressed her face. She so envied birds for their wings that granted them the freedom she'd always been denied.

Within minutes, the castle was in an uproar, the men running about, but unable to cope with the smoke bombs that had been tossed into their windows. Where in the Makai had they all come from? Before one could really have even finished verbally asking that question, Kurama had arrived before the girl in a blur, his form solidifying as light could once again bounce off of it and into the eyes of the girl. The fox-youkai's eyelids slit as he detected that youki coming from... the girl? No matter.

"Do not resist me, girl." he spoke in warning, before reaching out and picking her up, taking her over one shoulder.

Before she could blink an eye, he had already lunged back through the open window, landed on the ground below and taken off with his comrades, another wave of smoke bombs having been thrown for precautionary measures. Needless to say, those very same implements contained traces of a plant that would disturb the sense of smell of those in range to breathe it in. Fortunately, most of the group was intelligent enough to be able to avoid contact. By the time Nozomi's mind had registered the events and his words, she was already watching the castle shrinking into the distance. Having grasped his yukata out of reflex, she turned her gaze to the side when she registered the sound of his silky hair brushing past the fabric covering her arm as wind lashed through the strands, in his speed. Unable to see his face, she instead gazed to the men running around him, now that they'd caught up with them.

"Kurama... I thought we were here for something else."

Nari's voice did hold a slight shade of amusement as he stated that. To think Kurama would give up on an artifact just to take a woman... and a child, to top it.

"A strange youki in the northern tower is all that was told to us, Nari, as you remember... she was the only such possessor of such a unique signature. And the only thing I found in that tower room. We will question her... if she proves useful we will make use of her."

His voice, however, carried no implications of untoward purposes. The girl's scent told of her youth, which made her undesirable to him for a tool of... exercise. Then there was the fact that he had enough morals that he disapproved of a man subjugating a woman for the purpose of making use of her body. If a woman were to ever refuse him, he would not force himself upon her.

"The girl?"

Blinking at that, Nari then fell silent until they'd returned to camp. Once there all the men entered their tents to dry off, since the storm had caught them on the way back and now they were all soaked.

"Rest well. We'll speak in the morning."

With those words Nari left Kurama in front of his tent, making way toward his own. Still silent, Nozomi was now shivering onto the fox-youkai's shoulder, both from the cold air and a form of fear mixed with excitement. It was, after all, the first time she was out of that tower and she glanced at everything around her with insatiable curiosity.


	2. No more

Soooo since I already have a few chapters ready for this story, I thought about giving you lovelies a nice treat and uploading the second chapter as well. Can't wait to hear from y'all, and remember... reviews are fodder for us writers and keep us coming up with great ideas for your enjoyment :D

So enjoy, my lovely readers, and don't be shy in leaving me a review. I don't bite, I promise~ ;P

P.S. All _YuYu Hakusho_ characters belong to Yoshihiro Togashi~ :)

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**2. No more...**

_Still silent, Nozomi was now shivering onto the fox-youkai's shoulder, both from the cold air and a form of fear mixed with excitement. It was, after all, the first time she was out of that tower and she glanced at everything around her with insatiable curiosity._

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Releasing the girl on the flooring of his tent after his entrance, Kurama knelt before her, since he had put her down into a seated posture. She had a rather bizarre expression and demeanor, as if everything happened to be new to her... was she just _that_ innocent, or had she lived in solitude? His eyes ever so slightly narrowed when he finally went to speak.

"...What were you doing isolated in that room? Were you a prisoner?"

Slightly startled at his voice, Nozomi now tore her gaze away from examining the inside of his tent and set her eyes upon him. Silently she reached out and trailed her fingertips along his cheek. Widening her eyes, she suddenly withdrew her hand as if his skin burned her.

"You... you're real, aren't you?"

Looking around again, she then lowered her gaze to her hand, where the sensation of his perfectly smooth skin still lingered on her fingers.

"I'm not dreaming... I'm really out of that room."

His eyes narrowed dangerously, despite the instant in which his mind lingered upon the sensation of her small fingers on his cheek; she had indeed been a prisoner in that place. How long?

"...So you were a prisoner. How long were you in there?"

He wouldn't answer her previous question. Of course he was real, at least as much so as she was. The fox-youkai now seated himself before her, observing her pale features which were rife with confusion.

"For as long as I can remember... father said I had to stay there. For my own safety. The only people I ever saw were him and mother. I..."

Falling silent, she suddenly seemed to ponder something, before turning her eyes back to him. Taking a moment to let her gaze feast on his silver hair and his fair features that still glistened from the rain, she now spoke her thoughts.

"Why did you take me?" she asked, curiosity ringing in her tone.

His lips twitched into something of a scowl at that bit of data; freedom was one of the few things he held sacred and believed should be available to all. When she spoke once more, he kept the gap between their voices short.

"We were told of a treasure hidden there, that possessed a strange youki signature... you were apparently that treasure. Why did your parents force you to remain in that room?"

"A... treasure?"

Her eyes widened in astonishment, though she seemed completely oblivious to the fact that her cheeks had turned a pale pink at his words. After all, she couldn't say she had received too many compliments throughout her life, but somewhere in the back of her mind, it seemed she'd considered that as such. Ignoring his question, she now blinked when realization dawned on her.

"You... you're Kurama, then? Father spoke of you once... a long time ago."

"Yes, I am Kurama and I need to find a use for you... every treasure serves a function. What is yours?"

If he had to, he would threaten to serve her up to a slaver, or a man who generally enjoyed young flesh. If she had any powers, of course, now was the time to share them with the legendary thief.

"A function?" she asked, clearly puzzled by his words. "I... don't understand."

Even as she spoke, however, she kept inspecting every little detail of his face and body. He was certainly a fascinating being.

"What is it like?" she suddenly asked, her tone having softened a bit away from her innocent curiosity. "Being free..."

"...Freedom is life as it is truly meant to be. It requires cunning to survive, and sometimes... the ability to part with your conscience. However..."

He somewhat droned, before adding on.

"...What are your powers? Youkai have abilities that assist them in combat and in life in general... some are unique, some far simpler. I imagine you have at least one."

Especially with such an unusual, unique signature. It actually surprised him that her youki hadn't stopped flowing.

Contemplating his words for a few moments as she watched him, she suddenly blinked upon realizing she'd gotten lost in his golden eyes. Recalling his question and the fact that he'd had to ask her the same thing twice, she now reached to twist a lock of hair around her finger. It was a thing she did when she felt nervous, even though this time the feeling was somewhat different, but she couldn't tell in what way.

"I... I can move things... just by wishing that. And sometimes... people's thoughts flow into my mind. Usually it happens when I'm asleep; mother said it's a dangerous power to have and that many would want to hurt me for it. So that's why they had to keep me locked up..."

In truth, her mother had not had the heart to tell her only child that she was bound to be sent to Hell, as part of her family's agreement with a powerful youkai that lived there. Kurama's brow rose upward. Such powers would indeed be useful, though she would need training.

"...Yes, I can definitely use you." he concluded.

He had actually disregarded just about everything else she had said, though he had indeed taken in her words. Everything needed to be taken into account, as every little thing could be a clue as to how he could further her value. Maybe, however, he would benefit most by having someone to train her first.

"You're... not taking me back?"

Despite her stunned expression as that realization dawned on her, her tone did betray a hopeful tone. She did want to see her parents again, but that lonely room was definitely the last place she wanted to return to.

"Why? They'll hunt you down and... I don't want them to hurt you."

He was stoic as he watched her.

"Many great men have attempted to harm me and met their maker as a result. I am not feared simply for my aptitude in thievery, girl."

She was indeed naïve in the end, and as such, he would spare her his visible irritation and wrath. Sensing the anger in his tone, Nozomi lowered her gaze and lightly bowed to him from where she had settled onto her knees.

"Forgive me... I did not mean to offend you."

She'd only recognized that tone because it was similar to the one in her father's voice whenever she'd asked him to let her take a walk outside. By now she was slightly shaking, her body finally giving in to the cold, wet clothes sticking to her body. Watching her in silence so as to let the last shreds of his anger dissipate Kurama then finally moved to his feet. Walking to the other end of his tent, he threw over a blanket which the girl caught mostly out of reflex. With some proper training, she had the potential to become a fearsome weapon; that much he could already tell.

"Get out of those wet clothes before you get sick and get some sleep."

He then stepped toward the flap so as to go outside and let her disrobe, but his ear twitched and his eyes slightly widened, his body momentarily pinned to that spot when she began undressing right in front of him. Scowling somewhat, he grasped her wrist.

"What are you doing, girl?"

Startled by that, Nozomi dropped the fabric she'd been holding, which in turn bared her torso to his gaze. Inwardly Kurama cursed himself for his reflexes which drew his eyes to her chest though he couldn't help thinking that for a child she had a rather curvy body. Tearing his gaze from her breasts he closed his eyes and released her wrist before turning his back on her.

"Didn't your parents teach you it's improper to disrobe in front of a man you barely met? If I were any less mannered, I could consider you're willing to sleep with me since you seem so eager to show me your body."

Tilting her head at that, Nozomi now reached for the blanket and wrapped it around her. She couldn't understand why he seemed angry...

"Why would you need to lack manners if you wish to sleep with me? I used to sleep with my parents many times when I was younger..."

Did that mean she lacked manners? Involuntarily his left ear twitched again as he found his eyes widening once more at her words. So she seemed to lack even the most basic knowledge about sexuality. Was it even possible for anyone to be _that_ innocent?

"That is not what I meant, but it matters not. Know that you should not show your body to just any man."

With that he finally stepped back out into the rain, exhaling a soft sigh. He'd already decided to keep her there... would he come to regret that? Most likely... once again he sighed, closing his eyes and listening to the pouring rain as it washed along his body. He always did that whenever he needed to empty his mind for a few moments. When his eyelids parted again a shade of determination now sparked in his golden eyes. It wasn't the first time he'd taken a child in... he could do it again, even if she would be the first female one he would care for. Then again, if he didn't have enough knowledge of women, no one had.

Later that night he was seated in his tent, leaning against one of the wooden polls holding the fabric part up. The girl was lying next to him, her head near his thigh, her dark strands coiled and entwined upon the various furs and skins covering the flooring of his abode. Yes, he'd been watching her all night, taking in every single detail of her features to the point where he knew he would never again forget her face. At some point he'd even tested the smoothness of her skin with the back of his clawed fingers, only to find that the sensation now refused to fade from his hand. Even her scent was so, in a word, potent... there was no doubt that she was what could be called an adolescent youkai, nearing her adulthood. But in the end she was still a child compared to him... perhaps not in body, but in mind she definitely was nowhere in his range of interest.

All night he'd struggled to find an answer to the question squirming in his mind. Why? Why had they kept her isolated from the entire world? When his gaze drifted to her hair he realized that for the past few minutes he'd been sifting his fingers through her silky strands. Watching the contrast between the raven locks and his pale skin, he felt his lips curving into an ironic smirk. The girl's father had mentioned him to her, as she claimed... probably making him seem like a terrible monster, as most of the Makai residents considered him. Had her parents been afraid that he or someone like him would come steal her away after seeing her? She definitely wasn't ugly, and with the proper knowledge she could become a skilled seductress in a few years' time.

Exhaling a soft sigh he finally tore his gaze from her, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the rough wood. So many possibilities... her innocence and lack of knowledge about life offered him so many options regarding what to do with her. But after all, why not simply offer her power and knowledge and watch what _she_ chose to do with those tools? That would certainly be more intriguing than simply directing her life toward one path or another.

In the morning he moved to his feet and stepped outside where Nari was already waiting for him, seated near a small fire. Plopping down next to the elder youkai, Kurama stretched his spine before speaking.

"I'll need you to train her."

Staring at him for a few moments, the dark haired youkai crossed his arms.

"Why me?"

"You had a daughter before... you know what it's like. I don't."

Instantly discarding the painful glimmer in his gaze, Nari finally nodded.

"Very well. What did you find out from her?"

"She definitely has some unique powers... it seems she can move objects with her mind, and sometimes she can read people's thoughts."

"She would make a fearsome weapon in the wrong hands." the youkai agreed.

"Then it's a good thing my hands are the right ones." Kurama smirked.

Chuckling somewhat, Nari lightly shook his head.

"And? Anything else you want from her?"

"She's a child, Nari... she poses no such interest to me."

Standing, he now turned to leave, the elder youkai turning serious as well.

"I don't recall you saying that about Amaya. And she was the same age..."

Stopping in his tracks, Kurama felt his ear twitch at that... he hadn't heard Nari mentioning his daughter's name in over a century.

"I was a child back then, as well... but no more."


	3. Honest feelings

Ooookay here's the third chapter for you lovelies. I hope those of you who read this story liked it so far, because it only gets better ;)

Don't be shy in leaving a review, I promise I won't bite~ :D

P.S. All _YuYu Hakusho_ characters belong to Yoshihiro Togashi~ :)

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**3. Honest feelings**

_Stopping in his tracks, Kurama felt his ear twitch at that... he hadn't heard Nari mentioning his daughter's name in over a century._

"_I was a child back then, as well... but no more."_

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Six months later Nozomi was starting to finally show some affinity towards the blade, much to Nari's relief. Whenever he was away with Kurama on missions, he left Kirin to continue her training, having chosen him precisely for his lack of interest in bedding her. She showed much promise in all varieties of weaponry and hand-to-hand combat, and a sharp mind as well. She did lack common knowledge on life, but she absorbed all information so quickly that to Nari it was simply stunning. Kurama quite enjoyed that aspect in her, after learning of it, and often spent hours playing various mind games with her to keep improving her memory and wits. His entire gang had soon understood that – despite not having claimed her directly – she belonged to their leader and was off limits to any other of them.

The one thing Nari and Kurama had failed to do, was to find her a teacher to help her hone her natural abilities and improve them. That was the only reason that made Kurama wish she hadn't been such a unique youkai. That day, however, he decided it was time to try something new with her. Heading to Nari's tent, where the girl was seated with the elder youkai listening to one of the many stories he told of Kurama and the others, the silver haired fox took a few moments to simply examine her. She'd grown slightly taller in those months, and the training sessions had given her body a better toned aspect. For a moment, he realized, he hadn't even considered her a child anymore. When the faint echo of voices faded from his ears, he realized Nari had stopped speaking after noticing him standing there.

"Come..."

With that one word he motioned the girl to follow, before turning his back on them and heading toward the nearby forest encased within their valley. With a curious gaze, Nozomi moved to her feet and lightly bowed to Nari before running after Kurama. She had discarded her former attire, opting for the white yukata and combat pants that the entire gang donned. It not only made training much easier by giving her better mobility, but she also enjoyed the way it emphasized the outline of her body. She had no idea why she so loved the way she looked, but she did spend quite a lot of time admiring herself in the small lake within that very forest.

Stopping near the water's edge, Kurama now turned his golden eyes to her. Wordlessly he reached into his hair and withdrew a seed which he dropped to the ground. Slightly tiling her head, Nozomi watched with interest... whenever Kurama had decided to show her some of his plants, she'd been truly intrigued by them. Stepping back, the fox-youkai now pointed to the seed.

"Make it grow..."

Blinking at that, the girl did her best to hide her disappointment, before curiosity took over her.

"But... how? I don't have your abilities..."

"You need some form of training for your own abilities. The power of the mind is more fearsome than any blade. You should be able to use your affinity to extract some of my own youki into your body and then channel it into the seed to help it grow."

Silenced by his words, the girl's silvery gaze was now overtaken by a shade of concern.

"Are you sure it's wise to let me experiment on you? What if I hurt you or worse...?"

"The wise man knows when to take risks and when not to. I need a way to train your natural abilities and I have yet to find any youkai with the same powers."

Hesitantly the girl stepped closer, her gaze silently begging him to reconsider though he ignored it. Yes, he perfectly knew the risks of her possibly tearing off one of his limbs or killing him, but it was a risk he was willing to take. Logically, it was the only way to train her. His train of thought was diverted when she placed a trembling hand upon his clothed chest, and his gaze once more zeroed in on her features. For all of the uncertainties involved in their current situation, he couldn't help but notice that her touch didn't leave him as unimpressed as before. Blaming that on the fact that he'd taken her care seriously, he blinked when her thoughts suddenly invaded his mind though she seemed oblivious to that. Most of her thoughts seemed to revolve around him, and he had somewhat expected that given the central role he had taken in her life. But the way she was thinking of him... he'd yet to meet a woman who could indeed look at him without any trace of lustful thought. It was a purity that quite literally stunned him for a moment. Could such an innocent, untainted creature truly be real?

As he delved into his own contemplation, not unaware of the youki she was drawing from his body, Nozomi suddenly realized that her mind was open to him to read. Startled by that fact she lost focus, and the youki she had extracted from his body now returned to him. The process itself, however, was so abrupt that he was shoved away from her and rendered to his knees with a rather deep cut across his chest, his blood now pouring onto the grass beneath him. Moments later Nari, who was now polishing one of his daggers, was startled by the girl's voice when she screamed in fright. Frowning he moved to stand, motioning three of the others to follow him to the forest.

"What are you screaming for?" Kurama scowled.

Reaching into his hair and withdrawing another seed, he clenched his fist around it, his youki morphing the small sow into a beautiful, blood red flower. As he had learned over the years, he knew that panicking would only serve to further worsen his situation. Tearing off one of the plant's leaves, he did his best to keep his awareness. He'd had and seen far worse wounds than that, but apparently he was losing too much blood too fast. For a moment he regretted not bringing Nari along, that being his last thought before his vision darkened and the ground pulled him to its embrace.

Still in shock, Nozomi now fell to her knees, tears flooding her face. Had she killed him? She knew she should've gone back to the camp for help, but her muscles were simply paralyzed because of that thought. She had killed the man who had not only saved her from living in a cage, but had taken her in and cared for her, when nothing tied them together. It was in that same state that Nari and the others found her. Recovering from the shock of seeing Kurama unconscious, the elder youkai rushed to his side.

"He's alive..." he stated with a relieved breath. "Take him back to camp and tend to that wound immediately."

Without a sound the three youkai now lifted their leader from the grass along with the plant he had left there and vanished in their speed to get him back to the others. Watching them depart, Nari then turned to Nozomi... approaching her, he gently placed a hand onto her shoulder only to have her lunge herself in his arms.

"I... I didn't mean to! I asked him to reconsider... I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to..." she yelled desperately amidst sobs.

Embracing her, the male now took to stroking her hair so as to calm her down.

"I know, child... I won't let anyone blame you for this."

Reaching into his yukata he withdrew a small flower, blowing some of the pollen into her face. She needed to calm down and perhaps a good sleep would help her in that. Lifting her to cradle her body in his arms after the plant's effect kicked in and knocked her out, he now returned to camp as well. Taking her to his tent, he left her there to sleep and stepped out, resuming his task of polishing his daggers. For the following two hours the entire camp was silent, a thing Nari was most grateful for.

"Is it true?"

Kirin's slightly wrathful voice almost startled the elderly youkai who now raised his gaze to meet the angry one of his younger counterpart. Failing to get an answer, the blue haired youkai scowled and spoke again.

"Is it true that she nearly killed Kurama-sama, Nari?"

"I heard you the first time, Kirin..." he stated calmly.

"Then answer me!"

Silence reigned between them for a few moments, a lot of the other men now listening intently, eager to hear the youkai's answer. The voice that did offer Kirin an answer, however, belonged not to Nari but to Kurama himself.

"It is not true."

Blinking at that, the youkai turned to the sight of his leader standing a few steps behind him only in his pants, his torso covered in bandages and the yukata grasped in his clawed hand.

"But, Kurama-sama..."

"That's enough, Kirin." Nari stated on a warning tone.

He knew well enough when Kurama was angry, and he saw no reason for Kirin to endure that over nothing. Averting his golden eyes to the others, the fox-youkai exhaled a slightly annoyed sigh.

"I am the only one to blame. I knew she could hurt me, but I urged her to train with me."

"Hurt you? She almost killed you..."

Falling silent when Kurama turned his eyes back to him, Kirin offered a silent bow.

"It was a risk I took willingly. She asked me to reconsider... I am the only one at fault."

Without another word he now moved toward the entrance to Nari's tent.

"She'll probably be out for another hour or so." the elder youkai stated.

Nodding, Kurama stepped inside, his eyes instantly focusing on the sleeping girl. She truly had such a fearsome power... to think she could use his own youki against him, without even meaning to. Sitting next to her, he reached to wipe off the drops of blood that had landed on her cheek due to the force with which his blood had gushed from the wound. Moving to sit next to the flap afterwards, he pushed it aside just enough to see Nari.

"So what really happened?" the elder youkai asked, still focused on polishing his dagger.

"Exactly what I said... I was trying to train her natural ability and she lost control."

"Something more happened, Kurama. I know your voice and all its tones well enough by now."

Of course, being the one who had raised Kurama after his tribe had been wiped out, Nari did indeed know him better than anyone else. Falling silent for a long while, until it seemed he wouldn't answer, the fox-youkai then spoke again.

"Can I tell you a secret, Nari?"

Blinking at that, the elder youkai finally averted his gaze toward Kurama. He hadn't heard the boy say those words in centuries.

"When she started using her powers, I was able to read part of her mind. She lost control probably when she realized her thoughts were flowing into my head."

"Are you sure you should be telling me this?"

"You're like a father to me... if I don't trust you, who else can I trust?"

A trace of smile graced Nari's lips; Kurama rarely stated the feelings that tied him to the older youkai, after all.

"Fair enough... what troubled you about them?"

"I've known many women in my life, Nari... maybe too many. But I have never met one who could look at me and not feel any trace of lust or desire. Many of them claim to love me... and not one of them loves me as sincerely as she does. My mind was simply stunned for a moment when I realized just how innocent and pure her thoughts and feelings are."

Smiling again, Nari took a few moments to ponder on that. He had expected the girl to be untainted, given that she had been raised away from any trace of evil or impure thought.

"Kurama, you know I love you as my own child, which is why I will give you an advice whether you want it or not. Don't try to be someone you're not... you rushed to label this girl as a child, and I know why you did it. You can't deny she reminds you of Amaya, just as I can't deny it either."

A heavy silence fell between them after those words, while Kurama simply pinned his golden gaze upon the girl before him. For once, his mind was empty of any thought merely enjoying the sight of her fair features, to the point where Nari's voice startled him.

"While Amaya wasn't as untainted as Nozomi, she did offer you the same sincere love. That's what scared you when you met this girl, I'm sure... I know why you never sought to take another woman. I know you're afraid of losing that woman as you lost Amaya... Kurama, I can see that each time I look at you. So you chose to not hold any of them close to your heart anymore, but merely to your body. I know you can sense those around you in ways that most others can't... but don't try to put up a wall around yourself because of fear."

When Kurama again failed to answer, Nari fell silent so as to allow the fox-youkai to contemplate his words. Letting go of the flap and isolating himself from the outside world, Kurama once more moved to sit next to the girl, crossing his legs and resting his elbows on his knees as he watched her. His mind still refused to work properly, instead choosing to simply relish in Nozomi's features, but he found that lack of thought to be quite relaxing... perhaps sometimes he did need a break from analyzing things.


	4. Relentless trust

First off, a BIG HUGE thank you to **LeeEunMi** for being the very first to review this new story. Thank you, love, I hope you'll enjoy it until the very end :3

Weeeeelllll here's the fourth chapter my lovely readers. Hope you all like the story so far, even if you're too shy to leave a review. I don't bite, I love your reviews, they feed the muse~ :D

But enjoy this new chapter and look forward to the next one ;)

P.S. All _YuYu Hakusho_ characters belong to Yoshihiro Togashi~ :)

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**4. Relentless trust**

_[...] he found that lack of thought to be quite relaxing... perhaps sometimes he did need a break from analyzing things._

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Starting that night Nozomi refused to sleep in Kurama's tent anymore. She seemed to have made it her life's goal to avoid him in any way she could. While Nari had found out that she was afraid to touch Kurama anymore, because of what had happened, nothing the elder youkai had said to her had convinced the girl to reconsider. Over the next two months, however, he noticed that Nozomi had started sneaking out of his tent at night, returning just before dawn almost always covered in bruises. One morning, during his usual conversations with Kurama, he finally decided to let the fox-youkai know of that.

"I can't imagine what she does every night, but I think it's been going on long enough." he said.

"I think I know where she goes..." Kurama replied, his gaze fixed on the fire before him in contemplation. "Don't worry, Nari. I'll follow her tonight and see if I can convince her to reconsider."

"How? She refuses to come within ten feet of you."

"Then I'll just have to persuade her to talk to me."

Unable to hold back a slight smile, Nari reached over to lightly pat Kurama on the shoulder. He rather doubted Kurama would use his seduction skills on her, given that they were useless due to her lack of knowledge on the matter.

"I think you'll find that quite a challenge..."

"Then it's a good thing I never cower from challenges." the fox-youkai replied, the right corner of his lips twitching upwards.

As promised, that night he remained awake in his tent, his ears strained to catch the slightest sound. A couple of hours after his men had retired for the night, the distinct sound of someone leaving Nari's tent reached his sensitive ears. Allowing her to reach the edge of the camp, he then left his abode and followed her like a shadow. Within minutes they were back in the clearing, where he instantly focused his gaze on a lone tree near the lake. The missing pieces of bark and several broken branches convinced him of what he was already suspecting... she had taken it upon herself to train her natural abilities, without any help. It was something that instilled great respect in him, thus he decided not to intervene for the moment.

It was nearly dawn when Nozomi finally decided to end that night's training session. She was beginning to have better control, but something in the back of her mind prevented her from fully focusing. Rising from where she had fallen to her knees from exhaustion, she offered one more gaze to the mutilated tree before her. Approaching it, she placed a hand upon the trunk, her hand twitching when she felt the pain of the plant beneath her palm.

"Forgive me." she muttered. "Better you than him..."

Watching her depart from where he had been hiding, Kurama finally stepped out from amidst the greenery. Gazing over the tree for a moment he then approached it. Perhaps she had retained some of his ability, given that feeling what plants felt was his unique gift. Focusing some youki in his hand, he placed the palm upon the tree, fully regenerating it.

"Try to endure a bit longer."

With those words he now vanished in his speed, arriving back at camp just minutes before the girl. He had just seated himself before a small fire to settle his thoughts in order, when Nozomi arrived and stopped in her tracks upon seeing him. Why? Did he know she'd been out? Thinking he had not seen her, given that his eyes were closed, she tried to sneak around his tent. With his left ear twitching at the sounds of her feet, Kurama smiled lightly.

"You should know better than trying to sneak past a fox." he stated on a rather amused tone.

For a few moments all he could hear was her trembling breath and her pounding heart. Did she believe he was upset... angry? Finally he picked up the sounds of her hesitant steps as she approached him. Parting his eyelids he then turned his golden gaze to her.

"Sit... you look cold."

His words made Nozomi turn her silvery eyes to him and he could instantly detect fear in them. Throughout the following seconds he confronted her gaze, his own relentless in conveying his wish, until finally the girl felt compelled to yield and obey. She couldn't deny she had so missed his company over those weeks. Once she had taken up the spot next to him, careful not to touch him in any way, Kurama kept silent for a while merely watching her. Seeing how she kept rubbing her hands, he reached out to place his palm over them, only to have the girl withdraw them as if his touch burned her.

"Why do you recoil?" he asked calmly, returning his hand to its initial place upon his thigh.

Failing to get an answer, he now reached into his hair and withdrew a seed which he morphed into a small plant. Tearing off one of the leaves he took advantage of the fact that she was too busy staring at the ground, thus he smeared the plant's juice on his fingers before trailing them over the bruise on her cheek. Startled at his touch, Nozomi tried to lean away, only to have him grasp her chin with his other hand, forcing her to look at him.

"Don't make me tie you down, because I will."

"Why?"

Somewhat arching a brow when he finally heard her voice, he moved his eyes from her cheek to hers.

"I don't like it when those I try to heal squirm around."

He knew that wasn't what she had asked, but if she didn't trust him enough to give him a straight answer, neither would he. Understanding that from his tone, Nozomi again lowered her gaze but didn't avoid his touch anymore.

"You should have told Nari what you do each night. He cares a lot about you and he was quite worried."

"I didn't want to keep it from him... but I thought he would..."

"That he would try to stop you? Try to force you to train with me?"

"Yes..."

"And why would that be such an unpleasant prospect?"

Widening her eyes, the girl watched him for a moment as if he had lost his mind.

"I almost killed you..." she whispered.

Again looking into her eyes, Kurama found it too easy to tell she was on the verge of crying. Had she really been so afraid of hurting him? Abandoning her cheek, he released her chin as well and reached down, grasping both of her ice cold hands. Speechless, Nozomi watched throughout the following minutes as he seemingly took his sweet time in examining every single aspect of her hands... every inch of pale, smooth skin... every joint of her slender fingers... every tiny line of her nails. Soon she realized there was another feeling, aside from warmth, spreading through her body from his touches. She had no idea what it was, but she could tell that all she wanted was to feel more of it. For a reason she couldn't even understand, she wished nothing more than to wrap her arms around him and never let go.

Her thoughts came to an abrupt stop when he raised one of her now warm hands, briefly pressing his lips to the back of her fingers. The shiver that rolled down her spine was as new to her as it was odd. For a few moments Kurama was simply lost in the enticing aroma of her body. Burying his eyes into hers once more as his lips relished in the smoothness of her skin, he suddenly realized that he had been attempting to seduce her without even knowing he was doing it. Lowering her hand, he found that his body had seemingly taken on a mind of its own, his palm coming to rest upon her already healed cheek. Perhaps Nari was right and he had labeled her a child before even taking the time to look at her. It was then that Nozomi finally understood his gaze and the meaning of his actions. When tears flooded her eyes, she lowered her head and offered as much of a bow as her position allowed. How could she have not noticed it before? He had entrusted his life to her, and she had trampled on that trust by refusing to even go near him.

"Forgive me..."

Twitching his left ear, Kurama offered her a puzzled gaze for a moment before realizing what she had meant. It was better this way and things seemed to have worked in his favor all the same. Reaching down he placed a finger beneath her chin, raising her head to make her look him in the eye again. When she fixed her teary gaze on his, he moved his hand to the back of her neck, gently pulling her into his embrace. Before she could think of recoiling, his arms locked around her in a relentless grasp. For a moment all Nozomi could do was stare at the silky white material before her eyes, while her mind recovered from the shock of his actions. She had been embraced by her parents many times before... why did this one feel different? Before she even fully realized what she was doing, her arms tightly wrapped around his slender waist, grasping the fabric which covered his back, her face pressed against his chest as she cried without a sound.

Slightly startled by her reaction, Kurama somewhat loosened his hold on her, one hand moving into her strands, his fingers gingerly rubbing the back of her head to calm her down. Yes, it seemed she had indeed feared so much for his life that she had chosen to sacrifice their bond to protect him. It was that thought which drove him to lean down and kiss the side of her head, while her small body shuddered in his arms due to her silent sobs. For the first time in many centuries he found that the pain of the woman before him didn't leave him unimpressed anymore. Since Amaya's death no female had awakened his protective instincts... until now. It didn't take too long for the natural fragrance of roses that Kurama's body gave off to soothe Nozomi and lull her to sleep, though her exhaustion had played an important part in that as well. Still, she couldn't deny that she had never before felt more protected and wanted.

When her body relaxed in his arms, Kurama understood she had fallen asleep. Unwilling to disturb her, he placed a hand onto the ground, channeling some of his youki into a nearby vine which he used to retrieve a blanket from his tent. Wrapping the thick material around the girl, he resumed holding her and fixed his gaze upon the flames dancing before him. It was like that that Nari found them at dawn when he left his tent. Blinking at the sight, the elder youkai felt his lips twitch into a warm smile. Upon his approach, Kurama finally snapped out of his contemplative state, looking up only to meet Nari's silent smile.

"I assumed it would be a hard to conquer challenge... but you have proved me wrong, as always, Kurama." he stated on a low tone, to not wake the girl.

"I assure you it wasn't easy, by any means..." the fox-youkai retorted with a faint smile.

"You look tired... perhaps you need some sleep as well."

Nodding, Kurama now carefully moved to his feet cradling the sleeping girl.

"I'll take her to your tent."

"You can sleep there, if you wish..." Nari smiled.

Though Kurama didn't look back at him, by the time he had reached the abode he'd decided to take Nari's advice. Setting the girl onto the various youkai skins and furs which made up the flooring of all their tents, he covered her with a second blanket, prior to lying at her side. In spite of his undeniable emotional exhaustion which had resulted from the previous night's battle to subdue Nozomi's fears, he found sleep to be a hard to achieve state. Exhaling a soft sigh, he instead took to watching the sleeping girl all cuddled up against his chest. And suddenly a thought dawned on him... rather, a realization... she was driving away his lust; how had he not noticed it earlier? Ever since he'd brought her to their camp, he had only bedded women three times. Three times in eight months... that, even to him, was quite an achievement. It nearly made him laugh out loud, considering how harshly he had battled to subdue his own urges until then, and how miserably he had failed. Biting into his tongue to keep silent so as to not wake Nozomi, he once more fixed his golden gaze upon the innocent, untainted girl, a warm – almost loving – shade in his eyes. One she would likely never get to see, as it was something he hadn't shown to any female since Amaya's death.

Since his mind refused to settle down and allow him to fall into slumber, he decided instead to put it to work. He did have to wonder what the future would bring. Whereas he had once considered selling her to a slave trader, or asking her parents for a fat ransom to return her to them, now he was forced to admit that she had grown on him to some extent. It was rare that he would have mixed feelings about something or someone; the normal state of things – at least, normal to him – was that he either wanted or needed something or someone to further his goals, or he didn't, in which case he disposed of them, usually forever. But with her it was different... he wanted to keep her away from the life of a thief and at the same time he couldn't bring himself to send her away. Had she really gained his sympathy to that extent in just little over half a year? He was stumped... for the first time in many centuries he actually had no answer to his own questions. It irked him, as he wasn't one to enjoy not having full control on the situation at hand. It was a good while later that sleep finally claimed him, the girl's face lingering a bit longer in his mind as he drifted off into that restful darkness.


	5. Learning jealousy

First off, a big thank you to **AnimeGmr101** and **KhAeL** for leaving me some love in their reviews. **KhAeL**, hun, I was expecting you to "migrate" to this new story, after you loved _Haunting Past_. I'm super happy to see that you like this one as well; hope I won't disappoint you! :D

Now, enough ranting, let's get on with the reading. Don't forget to give me some luv too, lovelies~ :3 Enjoy!

P.S. All _YuYu Hakusho_ characters belong to Yoshihiro Togashi~ :)

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**5. Learning jealousy**

_It was a good while later that sleep finally claimed him, the girl's face lingering a bit longer in his mind as he drifted off into that restful darkness._

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The first thing Nozomi felt upon waking up several hours later was warmth, the soft texture of a cover made of youkai fur and the distinct heaviness of an arm draped over her. Opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was the pure white of Kurama's yukata and the pale patch of skin the material revealed. Her body lightly jolted at the sudden realization; even if she had somehow expected him to be there, she just hadn't expected him to be _that_ close. Trying not to move too much so as to not wake him, she instead turned her steel colored eyes to him.

It was now, being in such close proximity, that she could finally notice the wonderful piece of work nature had done when it had crafted his body. Fair, flawless skin upon his cheeks... sculptural features that reminded her of the marble statues she had seen in her so scarce walks through her family's castle... silky hair, flowing in between her fingers like liquid silver. Finally, her gaze was drawn to his perfectly defined lips; it was a strange feeling, but she found that she couldn't have resisted the urge to touch them even if her life depended on it. Hesitating for a reason she couldn't pinpoint, Nozomi finally placed a fingertip and gingerly trailed it along the outline of his upper lip then the bottom one.

_'So soft... so warm...'_ she contemplated.

By then Kurama had already gone from a deep slumber to a lighter one, thus the sensation of something trickling along his lips was enough to bring him to full awareness. His first thought was that he had probably bitten his lip during sleep, yet he could taste no blood. Giving in to his curiosity, he parted his eyelids and for a brief second he could do nothing but stare at the sight before him. Was... was the girl actually...

_'Just what in the world does she think I am? Her toy?'_

He felt his brow twitch at that thought, but then his brain registered the peculiar gaze in her eyes as she followed the path of her finger. Was she starting to become attracted to him? Inwardly shaking his head at that foolish thought, he reminded himself that she had no knowledge of sexuality whatsoever. And still... the fact that his heart had twitched in a pleasant way at that idea had not escaped his keen observational ability. Was he _enjoying_ the idea that Nozomi might have taken an interest in him? Could she even "take interest" in him when she knew nothing about that aspect of life? Then again, for all her lack of knowledge, hormones and instinct cared nothing for how informed their host was. With his focus torn between his own thoughts and the girl's relentless caresses, Kurama was sincerely surprised when he realized that he had pursed his lips and kissed her finger.

Her utterly stunned expression, when she raised her eyes to his and realized he was awake, was somewhat amusing to the fox-youkai. When Nozomi recoiled out of reflex, he tensed the muscles in his arm preventing her from moving away. Her faint resistance soon came to an end and she instead lowered her gaze, muttering an apology; for a moment he wondered what she was apologizing for. Then again, she had no way of knowing that he had actually taken pleasure in her earlier actions. Apparently, he would have to find a better way of conveying his thoughts and emotions, than a kiss. For now, however, he settled for merely digging his hand into her soft strands, allowing himself to relish in the sensation of her hair against his skin.

Just how long had it been since he had taken the time to indulge himself in such trivial actions with a woman? It was definitely longer than he cared to remember – given that he hadn't done such a thing since Amaya's death – though it did not escape him that he had somehow stopped thinking of Nozomi as a child along the way. Nor could he deny that Nozomi was quite a lot like Amaya. So much... so much...

"...I can't stand it." he muttered.

For a brief second his eyes betrayed the presence of that deep seated sorrow. Was this his punishment for being too weak to save that woman all those centuries ago? When Nozomi averted her puzzled gaze to his, the fox-youkai merely allowed a subtle sigh to trail from his lips. Once more shackling his own sadness, he finally released the girl and moved to his feet.

"In the future don't make Nari worry like this." he said gently before stepping out of the tent.

For a while, all Nozomi could do was watch the entrance of the tent where Kurama had disappeared behind the flap. What in the world was it that she had caught a fleeting glimpse of, in his eyes? It definitely wasn't anger or annoyance.

"Sorrow...?" she muttered to herself.

By now she had learned enough from Nari and the others to realize that the life they led most certainly brought about quite a lot of sorrow as well, as price for their freedom. Still... why did her intuition tell her that there was more to Kurama's sadness than just the men he had lost over the years? Her deep thoughts were interrupted, however, when Nari entered the tent with a warm smile.

"Did you sleep well?"

Sitting up, Nozomi offered a nod and a slight smile of her own in reply.

"He... did he hold me all night?"

Seating himself on the flooring just a couple of steps away, the youkai chuckled lightly.

"He did... he may not show it, Nozomi, but he's quite fond of you."

Lowering her gaze to her hands, the girl felt all humor gradually leaving her.

"I wonder..."

The sudden change in her mood did not escape the elder youkai, who now slightly furrowed his brow.

"Did something happen?"

Had Kurama done or said anything to upset her? However, when the girl looked back at him, he couldn't help the sudden feeling that he wasn't going to like what she would say.

"How did Amaya die?"

Taken aback by her choice of subject, the youkai took a few good moments to reply.

"Did Kurama say anything about that?" he asked gently.

"No, but... I saw something in his eyes just now. It looked like a deep rooted sorrow and... I was wondering if she's the one he's grieving for."

While Nari had never spoken much of his daughter, she had understood that Amaya had been immensely important to Kurama. The heavy sigh which now left the male youkai's lips was enough to convince her of that.

"As you know, Amaya was my daughter. After I took Kurama in, they bonded faster than I'd expected. Only a few decades later, before I even knew that they'd grown up, they had started talking about making a family of their own together. My wife was delighted at the idea, of course, as was I... but it was not to be. The village we'd settled in was attacked by a band of raiders from the city of the Shiseijū. We tried to flee with the others, but we were caught... the only one I managed to save was Kurama; my wife and daughter were not as lucky. They were both killed before our eyes."

"Does he... blame himself for her death?"

"He does... ever since that day, eight centuries ago." Nari nodded with another heavy sigh. "It's the reason why he never sought to actually love another woman; it's why he decided to heed only his body's needs and desires and ignore his heart."

Falling silent for a short while, he now watched the girl who was staring at her hands once more. He wanted to believe that she would be the one to heal Kurama; that she would be the one to make him listen to his heart again.

"But you know, Nozomi... I think he started changing a bit since he brought you here."

A slight smile curved his lips as he stated that; yes, the fox-youkai was most definitely starting to change under her influence, however unintentional that was. Little did he know that Kurama had indeed changed, more than even the Yōko himself realized. However, fate had decided that soon enough he would find out... and that he would understand there was nothing he could do to stop those changes.

One month had passed since that day when Nozomi had finally learned of the weight Kurama carried. She had tried several times to let him know that he wasn't alone... that she wanted to help him shoulder it. But it seemed that the more she tried, the more he recoiled. On that particular night, sleep failed to claim her; it was one of those nights again, when she couldn't sleep due to having the oddest of thoughts... while she'd grown accustomed to the group's rather regular pattern of bringing women into their camp, recently she found that she felt quite weird at the thought of Kurama bedding another woman. Yes, by now she knew some things about sexuality... the other men had described it to her in a quick and ugly version. Both Nari and Kurama had been quite angered at that, but Nari had admitted that what they had told her wasn't too different from reality.

She didn't know what to call that feeling, but it definitely wasn't pleasant. Was it, perhaps, what the others called _jealousy_? The knowledge that on the previous night he'd had four women with him, as his men had stated during the day, wasn't helping in easing that emotion either. Finally slipping out of her bedding with a sigh, she briefly glanced over to Nari to make sure he was sleeping before she stepped out of the tent into the chilly night air. The full moon almost instantly gained her attention, as it was such a rare occurrence in the Makai. Her blissful contemplation of the milky orb was interrupted soon enough, when her ears picked up something rustling inside Kurama's tent.

For a moment she felt her heart cringing... had someone snuck into his tent? There were plenty of bounty hunters out to kill him and she imagined that her parents had also sent out men to find her. She knew first hand just how good Kurama's hearing was, which only served to increase her fear; had something happened to him? Inwardly shaking away those dark thoughts, she approached the entrance to his tent and pulled the flap aside just enough to be able to glance inside and see if he was alright. The sight before her eyes, however, had her heart skipping a beat and her lungs emptying of air so abruptly that she felt dizzy for a split second.

It was as though time itself had frozen in that instant in which she stared at the female youkai straddling Kurama's lap. His yukata was piled onto the flooring of his tent, baring the upper half of his toned body to her eyes. The woman was hungrily kissing him while her hands fervently tried to remove his sash. However, it appeared that Nozomi's gasp hadn't been as quiet as it had seemed to her. Soon enough, the female turned her gaze toward the entrance, apparently startled to see the girl there.

"Who's the kid?"

Before Nozomi could even think of releasing the leathery material she was currently squeezing in her hand, Kurama's eyes darted to her. The image of her slender figure profiled against the silver-toned night, and her utterly stunned gaze was enough to make him feel all blood draining from his face, and any trace of lust vanish into thin air. When she finally released the flap and vanished from his sight, he heard his own voice before his mind had even registered the word.

"Nozomi!"

He only snapped out of that stupor when the woman made an attempt at regaining his attention. When his eyes settled upon her again, he suddenly got a sinking feeling in his stomach. He had picked that one precisely because he had thought she was quite a beauty... yet now she utterly paled in comparison to Nozomi, as his mind insisted on pointing out.

"Move." he ordered after that one second of being in shock.

When she failed to comply, being too busy to stare at him in disbelief, he grasped her arms and shoved her aside.

"You're in my way, woman."

Fortunately for her, his reputation as a cold-blooded killer was enough to keep her from arguing even if she understandably disliked the idea of being cast aside for a child. Ignoring her angry gaze, the fox-youkai darted outside, once more calling the girl's name; he even ignored the fact that several of his men had left their tents at the sound of his voice, to see what was wrong.

"What happened?" Nari asked, having awakened from all the commotion.

Even he, however, found himself staring at the sight of their leader half naked and the female which had by now stepped out of his tent, adjusting her clothing.

"For your sake, be gone by the time I get back." Kurama warned, before he vanished in his speed to track the girl down, not even bothering to retrieve his yukata first.

Trailing a hand over his face with a sigh, Nari shook his head; it was much too obvious now that Nozomi had seen Kurama with that woman. Watching as the female made her way toward the entrance to their camp, he grumbled something about young people being too much trouble. Ultimately he seated himself outside his tent and took to polishing his daggers as he waited for Kurama to bring the girl back. At the same time the fox-youkai was searching the forest, arriving at the lake soon enough. It seemed his intuition had not failed him, when he saw the girl seated near the water's edge.

He was just about to approach her, when his fine hearing caught the distinct sound of her crying. For some reason it gave him a bad feeling to know that she was crying because of him. Finally he moved out into the clearing, only stopping precisely two steps away from her.

"Nozomi..."

"Go away." she muttered.

With the way her voice trembled there was no doubt that she was indeed crying. Lightly sighing, the fox-youkai instead settled next to her.

"What's wrong?"

His own words sounded so stupid in his ears... of course he knew what was wrong. Having spent so much time in the company of women, he could recognize jealousy even with his eyes closed. When the girl failed to give him an answer, he fixed his gaze upon her.

"I won't say _I told you so_. But you knew about this..."

His voice died in his throat when Nozomi suddenly looked up at him, a deep frown darkening her features, the wet trails left by her tears along her pale cheeks glistening like diamonds in the moonlight.

"I knew... but I never actually _saw_ you with any of them!"

For a brief moment, his eyes betrayed amusement at her angry tone.

"Nozomi... are you jealous?"

His question had the effect he had been hoping for, when her frown vanished and left behind a puzzled expression on her face. His relief was short lived, however, when Nozomi lowered her gaze and sighed.

"I... don't know... I don't even know what jealousy feels like."

"If you felt like you wanted to tear that woman apart earlier... that's a pretty good description of what jealousy feels like."

And why wouldn't it be? He'd seen plenty of women killing others over him.

"...Why am I jealous?"

Though her question had been directed at herself, rather than at him, Kurama felt his left ear twitch almost against his will due to the suddenness of her admitting it.

"When a woman is jealous of another, with a man caught in the middle, it's often for one of two reasons... love or lust."

He did have to admit that he was curious which one it was in her case. And if it was indeed love... could he cope with that? Lust would be easy to satisfy, as he had recently found the thought of bedding her to be quite attractive. Love, however, was an entirely different story. He didn't know if he could bring himself to actually love a woman again, no matter how similar she was to Amaya. Keeping silent, he watched the girl's expression which betrayed just how deeply she was thinking on his words.

"What... what do those feel like?"

She could tell that he wasn't talking about the kind of love she had for her parents, as what she felt whenever she was near him lately was entirely different, although similar in some aspects.

"Love isn't something you can explain in words." he replied in the end. "But lust... is basically the desire you have for someone else's body."

When the girl looked back to him with that puzzled shade in her eyes, he knew it wouldn't be easy to make her understand. And with her limited knowledge on what sex meant and what it implied, he didn't quite want to _show_ her what lust was... it felt like he would be abusing her lack of knowledge, which to him was more or less the same as rape, and he didn't want that.

"Why would I want someone else's body? I'm happy with my own..."

"It's not easy to explain lust either, it seems..." he sighed, despite the amused shade in his tone.

"Is it... related to that _sex_ that the others told me about?"

His brow twitched at the mention of that incident, which had nearly had both him and Nari tearing their hair out while trying to explain to her what sex was about. Ultimately they had failed back then... so how the hell was he supposed to explain it now?

"Yes, lust plays an important part in that." he admitted. "It is lust that drives you to desire another's body."

"You know... you never told me... what this _sex_ is."

Inwardly Kurama felt like actually screaming in despair. How was he supposed to explain something which he only knew how to do? For a few moments he silently stared her down, as though he was hoping that she would somehow just read it in his eyes, without him having to torture his brain into coming up with an explanation that she could understand. When she only stared back at him with that expectant gaze, he finally gave in to his annoyance. Reaching out with one hand, he pressed his fingers to her cheeks until he forced her to purse her lips, his voice mixed with a faint growl in the back of his throat.

"You want to know what lust feels like? Very well... don't blame me if you don't like it."


	6. Wild fox

Lovelies, I have a special treat for you today. Go check out my profile, there's a link to a picture waiting for you there ;) Hope you'll like him and that you'll be looking forward to meeting him later in the story :D

But for now enjoy this new chapter and don't be shy to give me some luv. I feed on your reviews, my lovely readers, so please don't let me starve~ :3

P.S. All _YuYu Hakusho_ characters belong to Yoshihiro Togashi~ :)

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**6. Wild fox**

_"You want to know what lust feels like? Very well... don't blame me if you don't like it."_

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Her mind had barely had time to register his words, when the fox-youkai's lips came crashing down on hers. For a moment Nozomi thought that her heart would stop entirely and that she was going to die from the sheer shock. It was all she could do to stare blankly at his furrowed brow; the only thing that snapped her back to reality was the feeling of his other hand tangling in her hair. At first she thought he would do what he always did, which was to stroke the silky strands. She certainly hadn't expected him to clench his fist and pull on it until she felt compelled to tilt her head back so much that her neck muscles protested at the uncomfortable position. When his fingers stopped putting pressure on her cheeks she thought he would withdraw; instead he only grasped her chin and bit into her lower lip, forcing her to open her mouth until he could shove his tongue in between her lips, seeking hers.

She couldn't deny that she liked it, but at the same time this untamed side of his was something that scared her. He'd never revealed this part of him before, and she had no idea how to react to it. It did, however, serve to remind her that he wasn't a stiff prince with perfect manners. No, he was every bit the wild creature that stories made him out to be. Timidly, she did her best to keep up with the pace he was imposing in the kiss, but her staggering attempt was rendered useless when his hand suddenly vanished from her chin and dove in between her legs. With her eyes widening again, she was utterly unable to hold back a moan when he pressed his palm to her womanhood through her pants and started to harshly rub the sensitive area there.

It was that sound which made Kurama's ear twitch, and he ultimately withdrew his hand, leaning away from her mouth just enough so he could speak while allowing her to feel his hot breath on her lips, now reddened and slightly swollen from his assault.

"Now you know what lust feels like."

Though he hadn't really meant it, he actually bared his fangs at her while speaking, his golden eyes seemingly trying to burn holes into her silvery ones. He wouldn't deny that the way her scent had changed during that kiss had been enough to start an erection in his pants. He had indeed fancied the idea of just going all the way right then and there, but in the end he didn't want to scare her more than was needed. What he definitely hadn't expected, however, had been to see her crumbling right before his eyes, until her face was drenched in tears. Exhaling a sigh, he softened his gaze and released her hair, instead pulling her against his bare chest.

"Lust is an ugly thing... you're better off staying away from it."

_'You're better off staying away from me...'_ was what his mind droned on.

The heavy silence that followed his words was broken when the girl finally found her voice again.

"Then it's not lust..." she muttered in contemplation.

Now that he seemed to have reverted back to his usual self, she had discarded her fear. Upon seeing his inquiring gaze, the girl actually took him by surprise when she smiled.

"I'm not jealous because of lust."

His heart sank at those words and he found that for once he was speechless. Had he not just shown her that he could indeed be a monster if he wanted to? That he wasn't what she thought he was? He would have preferred to hear her say that she lusted for him more than any other woman alive... it still would have been better than to hear her saying that she loved him.

"You know... that side of you is... a bit scary."

To his credit, Nozomi didn't feel the jolt in his body when her words surprised him. Instead she fixed her gaze on his again and smiled.

"Even so, I think I like that part of you just as much as I like this one."

While she spoke, the fox-youkai merely stared at her unable to muster a word. For a split second it did cross his mind... if he were to compare the way Nozomi had said she loved him, with how Amaya had so long before, there was no denying it that the girl he was currently holding in his arms, loved him more. After all, Amaya had been spared from seeing his darker traits, whereas Nozomi had been subjected to them just moments earlier and _still_ she said she loved him. As much as he wanted to deny it, in his heart he already knew that the wall he'd tried building around himself was starting to crumble.

Yes, he so missed the bouquet of emotions that stemmed only from actual love, rather than mere lust. He was so tired of women desiring him only for his body and never actually wanting _him_. Perhaps Nari was right and he needed to restrain his bodily urges... the elder youkai seemed to think that Nozomi could help him do that, and Kurama had seen it firsthand that she could drive away his lust just by being near him. But not on that night... no, even as he held her, there was a certain tone of lust burning in his chest. He hadn't felt that particular emotion in so long that it actually seemed entirely new. Without a word he slipped an arm beneath her knees to cradle her, before he stood and began the walk back to their camp.

Startled by that unexpected action, Nozomi watched him with a puzzled gaze until it became obvious that he wouldn't even look at her much less offer an explanation of what was going through his mind. Had she... upset him with what she had said? She was only being sincere with him, as he had always asked of her. Upon seeing them, Nari did arch a brow; he had just opened his mouth to call out to Kurama, but the fox-youkai merely stepped into his tent with the girl, apparently ignoring everything else around him. Yet despite what it looked like, Kurama's thoughts were quite far from any impure trail.

"I... should go back and let you rest..." she muttered once he had set her onto one of the many youkai furs in his tent.

"You won't be sleeping in Nari's tent anymore."

Blinking at his reply, the girl silently watched as he at long last retrieved his yukata from the floor. Though he had intended to put it back on, however, her voice stopped his hands in midair.

"And what should I do... when you bring other women... here?"

Looking to her over his shoulder, he finally indulged himself a smirk.

"You'll watch and learn."

When her cheeks turned red, he lightly shook his head and resumed clothing himself.

"There's no need for you to concern yourself with that."

"Does that mean... you won't bring them here anymore?"

With a soft sigh he turned to face her whilst adjusting his sash to hold his yukata around his body.

"There's only one woman I truly want... and I can't have her. So don't worry about that."

For a brief moment Nozomi noticed something in his gaze. Was it... longing? She'd seen that in her own eyes for so many years whenever she looked in the mirror, that it wasn't too hard to recognize it in his.

"But... you're Yōko Kurama. You can have any woman you set your eyes on."

"Except one."

"Is it... because she's dead?"

His eyes briefly widened at that, before he narrowed them in thought; he had actually been talking about her, but why was she speaking of Amaya? Had Nari told her anything?

"What did he tell you?"

The sudden coldness in his tone startled the girl, but she gulped down her fear and held his gaze.

"Everything..."

"I see. Then how can you say that you feel something else for me, other than lust?"

"Because I do. Nari told me you blame yourself for her death... but he never thought you were guilty of anything. I'm sure she knows that too... that if you were strong enough back then, you would have saved her."

Finally lowering her eyes she placed them onto her hands, gathered on her lap.

"I may not know much about feelings or love. But I know what it feels like to love someone so much that you would give everything for them. So please... don't say it was your fault. I'm sure she never blamed you either..."

"Enough!"

Though he had turned his back to her by then, the sheer anger in his voice struck her harder than any weapon ever could. Toning down his voice a bit, he exhaled an angry sigh.

"Enough..."

"But... it's not right to carry that burden when you shouldn't..."

She hadn't really meant to insist on it, but she hadn't expected him to give her that murderous gaze either, when he suddenly whirled to face her.

"I said enough!" he ordered. "Don't talk to me about how I should feel... you know nothing of it!"

With the girl utterly stunned as she stared at him, Kurama stepped out of the tent, nearly tearing the flap when he pushed it aside. He needed to get away for a while... how in the Makai could she make him lose his cool like that? It was as if she knew just what to say and how to say it, to cause him to crumble and give in to his anger. Ignoring Nari's calls, he moved into the forest to cool down and settle his thoughts back onto their logical trail. It didn't take more than a few moments after he left, for Nozomi to suddenly realize that her face was drenched in tears again. She wouldn't deny that his gaze had made her believe for a split second that he would slash her throat open with his claws.

_'Dangerous... so dangerous...'_ her mind chanted over and over.

Shaking her head, she clenched her fists onto the soft material of her pants.

"No... if I start to fear him, there'll be no going back." she muttered to herself.

Still, he was right; who was she to talk of feelings when she was just starting to learn about them? Not wishing to further anger him by leaving his tent before he came back, she lied onto the fur beneath her, crying silently until sleep ultimately claimed her. It was quite late into the night when Kurama finally returned; again ignoring Nari, he headed into his tent... his first priority, after all, was to talk to the girl and try to somehow repair the earlier situation. What caught his eye, however, was not the fact that Nozomi was asleep – as he had expected that – but the sight of tears still glistening at the corners of her eyes. Carefully gathering her from that spot, he placed her onto the thicker furs which made up his bedding and covered her, before seating himself at her side.

A while later he was still intently watching her; he didn't even want to imagine what she was dreaming of, to make her cry even in her sleep. Ultimately he could take no more of it and felt compelled to lean down, gingerly kissing her tears away.

"I just... want to help..." she muttered.

His ear twitched at the sound of her voice, but he soon realized she was talking in her sleep. To think she would be dreaming of him even now; he actually... didn't dislike that. Giving in to his own feelings, he lied at her side and wrapped an arm around her until he could feel her against him.

"I... want to... help..." she muttered again, grasping his yukata as though she knew he was there.

"I know..." he whispered, placing a kiss to her forehead.

He didn't sleep anymore that night; not that he could have with Nozomi sniffling in her sleep all the time, which kept him incredibly alert at the fact that she was still crying. It was barely dawn when she woke up to the faintly familiar sight of his yukata and the pale skin revealed by the sleazy material.

"Why...?" she whispered to herself, thinking he was asleep.

"What is it?"

With her eyes snapping wide open, she stared at him and realized he was fully awake already.

"Do you know you talk in your sleep?"

When her cheeks again reddened in embarrassment, he trailed the back of his fingers along her skin, enjoying the warm softness of it.

"What... what did I say?"

Going silent for a while, the fox-youkai merely lowered his hand to her chin, his thumb gingerly trailing her lips.

"Nothing I didn't already know." he finally replied.

Unable to utter a sound, Nozomi stared at him as he so intently watched her lips. There it was again... that shade of longing she had seen the previous night. Was he... longing for her?


	7. Explaining love

My lovelies, here's the newest chapter of my little endeavor :D Hope y'all enjoyed the surprise I had in store for you and that you're eager to meet him. But for now enjoy, dears and don't forget to leave me som luv~ ;)

P.S. All _YuYu Hakusho_ characters belong to Yoshihiro Togashi~ :)

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**7. Explaining love**

_Was he... longing for her?_

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Retrieving his hand, Kurama moved to stand and stretched his spine, exhaling a sigh of relief. Now turning to face the girl who had sat up by then, he inwardly felt like slapping himself when his mind recalled what he had done to her at the lakeside no more than a few hours earlier.

"I overreacted last night." he said.

Briefly the girl could do nothing but stare at him. Was he actually apologizing? Somehow she felt like smiling, but couldn't quite bring herself to do it.

"It's okay... I know I'm not one to talk about feelings. I'm just... a silly little girl, who's barely learning what it's like to live. So it's alright... you don't have to feel sorry about it."

Leaning down Kurama now grasped her chin and turned her face upwards. In the very instant when her cheeks gained that beautiful shade of red, he knew she was thinking that he would kiss her again. However, that time she would have to settle with only a kiss to her forehead.

"At least let me feel sorry about it." he replied with a measure of amusement in his tone.

Over the following days everything seemed to have returned to normal, aside from the fact that Kurama still hadn't allowed Nozomi to sleep in Nari's tent anymore. When the elder youkai had questioned his motives for such a decision, Kurama had simply said that he slept better with her around.

"You know she has feelings for you...?"

"I know..." Kurama replied, staring into the fire they were sitting by whilst the day faded away.

Sighing lightly at that evasive reply, Nari ran a hand through his hair.

"And? Are you able to return them?"

"We'll know soon enough. What I do know right now, is that if I didn't think there was at least a small chance of it, I would have gone with the others."

Yes, it was one of those nights; but this time he had refused to go out with his men and bring back any women to his tent. The others had been quite taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor, though ultimately they didn't dare question him. He was actually so caught up in trying to figure out his own heart, that he was startled when Nari placed a hand onto his shoulder.

"For both of your sakes... I hope this will be a trial where you won't fail."

Standing, he then left their leader alone and retired into his own tent. The men would be back soon enough with their women and he wasn't one to enjoy that kind of show. In Kurama's tent, Nozomi was asleep... he had been careful to tire her out with training that day, so she wouldn't have to endure the sounds and sights of the other men indulging themselves in their desires. While he was the adept of privacy most of the time when it came to sex, it wasn't uncommon for his men to often show off their skills before actually taking the women into their tents. That was something he had always been careful to protect her from, and would continue to do so even when he wasn't taking part in those acts anymore.

It was well into the night when he decided his willpower had had enough of seeing his men with their women, thus he stood and turned to enter the tent when his peripheral vision caught the sight of three females approaching him.

"Don't you have someone else to bed?" he asked, averting his icy gaze to them.

Fortunately it seemed that had been enough to dishearten them; he wasn't exactly in the mood to argue with them, as he had little patience to spare that night. Once he had made sure they had left, he finally stepped inside. But while the flap could isolate him from the sights, it wasn't the same for the sounds which his sensitive ears were so quick in catching. Seating himself against one of the wooden polls, he leaned his head against the hard surface and closed his eyes with a heavy sigh. Soon enough his hearing picked up faint rustling sounds and he bit back a growl, thinking that some idiot of a female had become too bold for her own good. When he opened his eyes, however, he was so taken aback to find Nozomi staring at him with her face only inches from his, that he actually hit his head against the wood when he instinctively tried to lean back.

"Forgive me... did you hurt yourself?" she asked, sitting onto her heels.

Rubbing the back of his head, Kurama now finally noticed that she was knelt between his sprawled legs. What the...?

"I don't think I'll be getting a lump, if that's what worries you." he replied. "Moreover... why aren't you sleeping?"

Damn it, even his voice sounded strained and she wasn't helping by thrusting her body in his face like that.

"I... can't..." she muttered, briefly glancing toward the entrance to his tent.

What was he supposed to say to that? She surely knew the reason for those sounds, just as well as he did.

"Even so... why are you... _here_?"

He made sure to emphasize that last word while nodding toward her current position. When she looked back at him, for the first time since he'd met her, the fox-youkai now caught a glimpse of lust in her gaze. Well... she had to lose her innocence sometime, and living with a bunch of thieves who had no qualms with displaying their sexuality was bound to lead to that outcome. He knew that very well and still it took him by surprise; then again, what had he expected? The girl had instincts just like anyone else... and he knew too well how instincts were supposed to do the work when the lack of knowledge should have prevented that.

"You... didn't really look good... I was worried."

He didn't look good? _He_ didn't look good? Had she noticed just how strained his willpower was? Was he paler than usual, or something?

"I do believe you're the first woman to tell me that I don't look good." he chuckled.

"Ah... I didn't... didn't mean it... like that..." she stuttered.

Offering a light bow she moved away and back to the fur where she had been sleeping until just a few minutes earlier.

"You should try to get some rest..." she said with a concerned tone.

Lying down she soon noticed, however, that there was absolutely no way she could fall asleep again now that she was fully awake.

"Kurama-sama..."

"What is it?"

To his credit, he kept his gaze fixed upon the flap even if his tail was flicking the air from time to time as if to show that he was restless; he didn't exactly want her to see what his eyes surely were betraying by now. But crap... why did his voice have to sound like someone was strangling him? It didn't escape him, however, that she had chosen to address him with the title his men used; she only scarcely resorted to that honorific.

"What you did to me at the lake... is that _really_ what lust feels like?"

His eyes actually widened at her question... why would she choose that subject now of all times? Taking a deep breath to settle himself down, he closed his eyes and again leaned his head on the poll he was resting against.

"Yes..."

"Then... what does love feel like? Can you... can you show me?"

Biting into his tongue to hold back the latest sigh he felt rising in his throat, he took a moment to resign himself to the knowledge that he would indeed have to try and explain it to her.

"Why do you want to know?"

Yes, he could at least try to stall a bit and maybe she would change her mind.

"Because... I didn't really... dislike what lust feels like. So... so maybe love feels... even better."

When he opened his eyes, his peripheral field of vision caught the sight of Nozomi sitting up and pushing the cover aside with a sigh. For a moment he wished she hadn't given up on trying to sleep... this conversation was torture.

"When I asked Nari about it... he said lust and love are... part of each other. I asked him to show me, but he said I should ask the one I love."

His ear twitched at the realization that she had actually asked _that_ of Nari, even if she surely had no idea what she was asking for.

"Did he tell you to ask the one you like... to _make love_ to you?"

"Yes... but he made it sound different from the _sex_ that the others talked about. I'm just... so confused."

Exhaling a breath, the fox-youkai then lightly gritted his teeth. There was no mistaking it... he had some feelings for the girl; otherwise his heart wouldn't have twitched in such a pleasant way at the knowledge that he was the one she loved.

"Come here..." he said gently, keeping his gaze fixed upon the upper part of his tent.

It was only when she approached him that he turned his eyes to her, with that scrutinizing gaze he was renowned for.

"I can show you what Nari was talking about... but you have to be honest with me. Am I the man you love... or is it another?"

Taken aback by his question, Nozomi lowered her head in a failed attempt to hide her burning cheeks. Why was she even blushing anyway? Feelings really were such an odd mystery, as was the way her heart now pounded, making her feel like it would tear her chest wide open and leap out.

"Why would I love anyone else? Ever since you took me from that tower, my whole world revolved around you. How could I ever feel like this for anyone else?"

Was it not obvious to him by now that no other man would ever be what he was to her? Briefly rendered silent by that reply Kurama now reached to grasp a strand of her hair, relishing in the feeling of silky smoothness sliding in between his fingers.

"Look at me..."

When the girl hesitantly raised her gaze, he finally indulged himself a real smile, his hand moving over to her chin and his thumb again trailing her lips.

"You're the reason why I'm here with you tonight, rather than with other women. I was... so afraid of you when I first brought you here. You reminded me too much of Amaya, but I can see now that I was wrong. You're nothing like her, yet you just grew on me more and more. And now I'm compelled to admit that I have feelings for you... and that I don't want any other woman."

His ear twitched again when she suddenly grasped his hand with both of her own, before pressing her lips to his palm. In truth Nozomi herself had no idea what had driven her to do that, but somehow it felt nice. Giving her a few moments of resting her cheek in his hand, the fox-youkai then offered her a playful smirk, the kind she hadn't seen before in him.

"Did you already give up on your curiosity?"

"Of... of course not..." she pouted. "It's just that... your hand is so warm..."

"You'll enjoy my hands later... come here. Spread your legs over my lap." he chuckled, bending his legs and crossing them to assume what was the standard meditating position.

Doing as she was told with curiosity brimming in her gaze, Nozomi suddenly realized that position brought her quite close to him. She nearly lost balance when he grasped her thighs and pulled her even closer, until their torsos were pressed together. She did want to ask if it wasn't uncomfortable for him to have her breasts against his collar bone, but her voice died out when he closed his eyes and buried his nose in her yukata, inhaling her body's natural scent deeply.

"You smell nice..." he smiled. "Come on... sit down carefully. Despite how powerful men can be, we're quite sensitive there."

He actually couldn't believe it, but he hadn't felt that kind of anticipation since the very first time he had slept with a woman. Her fragrance had even been enough to start a mild erection in his pants, which she could fully feel once her groin touched to his. Having wrapped her arms around his neck to keep herself steady, she blinked at that odd sensation.

"What... what is that?"

"That's what I'll use to make love to you." he smirked, offering her a glimpse of his milky white fang.

He didn't even remember how long it had been since he'd bedded a virgin, but her reactions were definitely cuter and more amusing than any others he could recall. She would make for such a fun tease during the foreplay. Leaning to claim her lips for a short kiss, he started to lightly move his hips and further the awakening of his member while teasing her at the same time. It took him by surprise that she moaned after just a couple of his motions... but knowing that she was so sensitive actually stirred his playful side which he hadn't displayed in quite a long time. Breaking the kiss, he then pecked her neck on a trail toward her ear.

"That feels... so damn good..." he groaned.

And truly it did feel better than ever before. At that point he didn't even care anymore if it was because of the knowledge that he had found a woman to actually love, or because of the strain put on his body's desires by his refusal to sleep with other females anymore. He could've kept going like that until the very end, but as much as he yearned to satisfy his longing, he wanted Nozomi to enjoy it just as much as he did.

"I'm... I'm getting a weird feeling... from that..." she muttered, clenching her hands onto the silky material of his yukata.

"It will feel better when you get used to it."

Letting her lean back somewhat, he couldn't hold back a sly smile at the sight of her breasts.

"Oh...? You're wearing the thin yukata today?" he grinned, tauntingly flicking a finger against one of her nipples to test her reaction.

When she tilted her head back and mewled in pleasure, he arched a brow. Setting one arm around her waist to keep her from falling backwards, he allowed his other hand to creep up to her right breast and gently squeeze the underside of it along with the white material covering her. In turn he was rewarded with another moan from Nozomi who by now didn't even really know what was going on with her anymore.

"_That_ sensitive, huh?" he chuckled.

With a swift, experienced move he pulled the fabric aside not even bothering to remove her sash for now. With her chest exposed to his hungry gaze, he once more pressed his nose to her breasts, inhaling that wonderful scent that was already becoming an addiction to him. Still he didn't indulge himself more than a few moments of that... he wanted to hear more of those pleasure dripping moans of hers. Before he'd even consciously thought of it, his lips parted and his tongue got its first taste of her skin. With his hand taunting her right breast, he gradually moved along the left one until he felt the hardened nipple against his tongue. Gingerly grazing his teeth against the sensitive bundle of nerves, his ears relished in the way her voice went up a notch as she again moaned for him. Deciding to give her a break from teases, he now wrapped his lips around the nipple and a radius of that soft flesh which seemed to swallow his slender fingers; yet even now he couldn't hold back from teasing her... her reactions were simply wonderful to the point where he got a kind of sadistic pleasure out of taunting her.

By then Nozomi's mind had nearly gone blank; was _that_ what making love felt like? While it still scared her to some extent, at the same time she didn't want it to ever end. It actually took her a couple of moments to realize that he'd moved her away from him at some point, setting her on her back. When her gaze finally zeroed in on his face which was now hovering above her own, she blinked away the traces of tears in her eyes, trying to catch her breath.

"Don't think I'll let you faint on me so early... we haven't even started yet."

There it was again... that sly smile which made her feel like she was completely powerless to resist him, no matter what he would ask her to do. Once her breathing had settled down, she blinked when Kurama again pressed his fingers to her cheeks until she pursed her lips. However, the kiss he locked her in this time was surprisingly gentle, despite the shade of passion hidden in it. He did indeed move his tongue into her mouth again, but now he wasn't so violent in asserting himself on her. Maybe this was what it meant that lust was a part of love. When he released her cheeks, she thought he would again go for her hair... instead she twitched when his hand moved to her sash and she heard the fabric ripping when he tore it off her. What she felt at that very moment was an odd, but pleasant mix of anticipation and fear.

"If it's too much, tell me and I'll give you a breather." he now said, breaking the kiss.

She had been about to ask him what he was talking about, but without warning his hand plunged into her pants. With her mouth open, there was no barrier to muffle the rather loud moan that left her chest when his index and middle fingers trapped her clitoris between them, rubbing it lightly along with the upper part of her lower lips. Her entire body stiffened and she felt her back arch, pushing her breasts upwards.

"It... it feels... good..." she moaned out.

Her gaze had dimmed by now and she failed to see the smirk playing on his lips.

"It'll only feel better from here on."


	8. One desire

I won't leave you hanging any longer, lovelies, and I won't keep you with my rants, aside from one mention. If Kurama seems a bit more prone to playing and generally just savoring the moment in this chapter, from what you imagine he would behave like, it's because deep down foxes are quite playful animals. And, whether we like it or not, Kurama IS a fox in the end; yes, a fox **demon**,but a fox nonetheless. So enjoy this new chapter and, as always, look forward to the next one ;)

And don't forget to feed the muse too, she loves your reviews so much~ :D

P.S. All _YuYu Hakusho_ characters belong to Yoshihiro Togashi~ :)

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**8. One desire**

_Her gaze had dimmed by now and she failed to see the smirk playing on his lips._

_"It'll only feel better from here on."_

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Some moments later, when he finally withdrew his hand, Nozomi was almost breathless. Once her gaze cleared up somewhat she realized he had been waiting for her to focus again, before he sensuously trailed his tongue along one of his fingers.

"This is the first time I've seen a woman climax just from my hand." he stated with a mischievous smile. "If this weren't your first time, I would have already had you orgasm on my erection."

Chuckling at her concerned gaze, he swallowed her taste from his mouth and leaned to briefly kiss her.

"Don't worry... you taste wonderful."

"Then... what do you... taste like?"

Momentarily taken aback by her question, he then leaned down and nuzzled her cheek with a content sigh.

"I'll let you give it a try next time. I have so much to teach you..."

And he would take so much delight from teaching her all that he knew. But for now, he needed some way to give her a break and let her body settle down a bit.

"Can you sit up?" he asked, taking her hand.

Nodding, Nozomi moved to her knees not even bothering to cover herself when the yukata slid apart from the lack of a sash to hold it together. Yes, he'd told her that she shouldn't show her body to just any man... but he wasn't just any man.

"I'll give you a short break, so why don't you try to undress me?"

After all, making love involved both of them and she needed to grow accustomed to what the body of a male felt like. Sitting back on his heels, he placed his hands on his thighs for now, giving her the freedom to do as she pleased. Hesitantly Nozomi moved closer, lightly gulping before she mustered the courage to reach for his waist and undo his sash. She wouldn't deny that curiosity was by now boiling inside her; she hadn't really gotten a good look at his body that night at the lake so she was quite eager to be able to see what he looked like beneath those silky clothes. When his yukata fell apart revealing his sculptural torso, she couldn't hold back from reaching out and trailing her fingertips along his chest.

"They're... so hard..."

It felt as if he had rocks beneath his skin, not muscles. With an impish chuckle Kurama discarded his footwear before once more settling down while Nozomi now trailed her hands along his shoulders until he moved his arms to help her get his yukata off.

"I'll let you in on a secret..." he said, once more grasping her hand.

When he placed her palm over his left pectoral muscle, the girl was startled to feel his heart racing almost as fast as hers. For a second she stared at him in disbelief; how could he act so calmly when his heart said he was about as nervous as she was? Was that the cool gained through experience? For a reason she couldn't point out, she felt almost compelled to place her other palm onto his chest as well, caressing his smooth skin before she leaned in to place a kiss over his heart.

"I'm... not afraid... because it's you." she whispered.

Kissing the side of her head in return, Kurama merely smiled into her hair.

"Good girl."

Moving away from her he now stood so as to allow his pants to drop to the floor. Stepping out of them he brought Nozomi to her feet as well. Once her own pants had slid down her frame, he leaned to kiss her while swiftly removing her yukata and discarding it as well. Without the constraints of clothing he could finally relish in the sensation of skin-on-skin contact when he wrapped his arms around her, pressing their bodies together. With Nozomi wrapping her arms around his neck, he grasped her thighs and spread her legs around his waist before settling onto his knees with the girl on his lap. It was astounding... he was already fully erect and she hadn't even touched his manhood. He was actually curious to find out what other effects she could have on him, but that would be left for another time. For now he once again started moving his hips, this time rubbing his erection directly against her dripping lower lips.

"My Nozomi..." he whispered in her ear on a deep tone.

Blinking at that, the girl now realized that he was making a play on words, given the significance of her name. Yes, if she was his one desire, then she wanted to be his forever. Tightening her hold on him to some extent, she placed a kiss onto his shoulder while caressing his upper back amidst his silvery strands.

"Nozomi, I said this will feel better... but it will hurt at first."

He felt it fair to warn her; after all he didn't want her freaking out and stopping him.

"I trust you..." she smiled. "I'm more afraid of thunder than I am of this."

Offering a smile of his own at her slightly jesting tone, he placed a loving kiss to her forehead. When he buried his golden eyes into hers, the girl felt for a moment as if he was trying to put her into a trance.

"What... what should I do?" she asked.

"Relax... I'll do the rest for now."

Reaching in between them he grasped his member and deftly placed the slick tip against her folds, which instead caused the girl to press her nails against his shoulders.

"Try not to bloody me up too bad."

It was the only thing he said before pressing his free hand onto her thigh to make her lower her hips. Once the head was inside, he reached around her waist and grasped her rump, swiftly lowering her onto his erection. With his heightened senses it wasn't hard for him to tell the exact moment when he deflowered her, even before the blood started dripping onto his groin. He did cease all motion for now after that move, however, not just because of her painful moan but to give her body time to fight off the pain and reignite her pleasure.

"It'll go away soon... and you won't feel this kind of pain ever again." he said softly whilst gingerly stroking her hair as she panted against his neck, her body trembling in his arms.

Finally after a few minutes he felt her thighs gaining a bit of slack as they pressed against his hips. He was actually a bit reluctant to start moving again... just staying inside her like that already felt incredible. And given how tightly she was wrapped around his erection he wondered if he could even go as long as he usually did. Still, he settled for a slow, shallow pace for the moment so she could gradually get used to the sensations the act itself was imposing on her body. Not too long afterwards he found it utterly impossible to hold back a groan.

"Does it... feel good?"

His ear twitched at the lewd tone in her voice, but he smiled and buried his face against her neck.

"You're the best, Nozomi..." he muttered before lightly biting into the soft flesh there and sucking on it with the clear intention of leaving a mark behind.

"Then... I'm happy... Kurama..."

A shudder rolled along his spine when her warm breath carried his name to his ears, and his erection twitched inside her. Leaning back just enough to see her face, he claimed her lips for a passionate kiss, his thrusts growing fuller and faster whilst he squeezed her slender frame against him. Yes, she was indeed the best... and he couldn't imagine bedding any other woman ever again, even if his life depended on it. Before he even fully realized it, he had leaned forward until he felt her body had settled onto the flooring of his tent, ending up on top of her with his chest rubbing against hers, the sweat of his abs allowing his stomach to slide up and down hers to the tune of his now deeper and ever so slightly harder movements. Then, he moaned into the girl's mouth, thoughtlessly parting their lips together to enter her mouth with his tongue.

The sound of his moan sent a wave of soft warmth through her chest while she yielded to his lips, her mouth eagerly welcoming his tongue. Was he really enjoying it? It felt good to know he found her satisfying and that he enjoyed her body. Her tongue shyly moved to its counterpart while her folds tightened out of reflex, even though she was already quite tight due to his size, to further increase his pleasure. Locking her legs around his waist she fully abandoned herself to his will. Though his mind hadn't been in it, his body instinctively knew after all those centuries that such a sudden movement would serve to lodge him deeper inside her. Feeling her cervix, he took note of her reaction and smiled into the heated kiss, letting the head of his member caress it. While it seemed to be an opening to go deeper inside her, it would be a tight fit, and there was no guarantee that it wouldn't hurt her more than the initial penetration.

With her body nearing climax, her muscles gained tension which in turn forced her legs to press against his rump as though she was urging him to go deeper. Her tongue had gained courage, as displayed by the hunger in her kiss, while she tightened her embrace forcing his chest to rub against hers to the point where her breasts had slightly started hurting. Kurama allowed her to direct him then even though it was the first time he'd ever gone that deep. With his tip against her cervix, he pushed until it opened, his massive head spreading open her womb. Was she more sensitive there...? He did hope so, his thrusts gaining somewhat of a rough edge as he moaned for her. Now, even with his concentration on the kiss, he could hear a moist slapping noise from their meeting groins, his pleasure building into something unfamiliar.

Almost screaming in his mouth she sank her nails into his flesh when she felt her small womb stretching and molding along the form of his member. The overwhelming pleasure threw her right in the midst of a second orgasm, tears overflowing from under her tightly closed eyelids while the rest of her body shuddered underneath Kurama. She'd never imagined such pleasure could exist... such pleasure that it left her almost breathless. Her own climax, however, merely served as a final push over the edge for the fox-youkai as well. Grunting harshly into the kiss, he roughly thrust forward until he felt the tip of his erection spearing the very back of her womb, just moments before his seed erupted inside her with such sheer force that it astounded even him. Before he could even realize that the thick warmth was now traveling along the exterior of his shaft, he felt his semen spraying back onto his groin mixed with her own body's lubricant, due to the tightness of her inner muscles.

Finally pulling from the kiss, even he felt compelled to heave for air. That... had been wonderful on a level he had never imagined. Though he wanted nothing more than to just lay down onto her, he placed his hands to her cheeks, wiping off the sweat which made her skin glisten whilst she inhaled as deeply as she could, to settle down her body's need for air. When she was able to look up at him again, he merely smiled lovingly.

"You're mine forever... and I'll never have another woman in my bed so long as I live."

It was actually something he'd never said before, not even to Amaya. Nodding silently, Nozomi found that his words made her so happy that she felt like crying. Before she could think of a reply, Kurama leaned down with an utterly satisfied sigh and settled onto her body, his weight and warmth making her smile as she caressed his back.

"Oh, my love... you have no idea how long I've been waiting for you." he muttered, prior to kissing her cheek.

What could she say to that? Were there even any words fit for such a statement?

"I love you..."

It had really come out before she'd even realized it. However, the faint awkward feeling was dispelled when he leaned back so that she could see his warm smile and the content gleam in his golden eyes. It was an expression she'd never before seen on his face, but one she wanted to keep seeing for as long as possible.

"I never believed I'd ever say it again to any woman, but I do love you Nozomi. No matter what happens, never doubt that my heart belongs to you."

He couldn't and wouldn't run from his own feelings anymore... not when he'd finally found the woman worthy of having his heart as well, not just his body.


	9. Interlude

Sooo I'm a bit sick, probably coming down with a cold... which means I won't make any fuss today with my rants. Enjoy this chapter and don't forget to leave me a review :)

P.S. All _YuYu Hakusho_ characters belong to Yoshihiro Togashi~ :)

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**9. Interlude**

_He couldn't and wouldn't run from his own feelings anymore... not when he'd finally found the woman worthy of having his heart as well, not just his body._

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The following morning he awoke to the slight weight of the girl's body onto his. At some point he had settled onto his stomach to rest and she had settled on his back. He didn't even realize she was already awake until her voice reached his ears.

"Did you sleep well, Kurama-sama?"

Looking to her expression overflowing with happiness, he couldn't hold back a smile.

"You can drop the honorific already. It's not like you used it more than five times until now." he chuckled.

"I did..." she pouted, nearly making him laugh out loud. "I used it six times."

"Oh? Seriously? I assume you're expecting a reward then."

Jolting the right half of his body, he rolled the girl onto the furs next to him. Turning to her, he wrapped his arms around her slender form, bringing her against his chest. Setting her head onto his arm, Nozomi offered him that bright, pure smile he had grown so fond of. The silence that now fell between them was actually more relaxing than Kurama had thought, even if his mind was as active as ever whilst he trailed his fingers through her dark strands.

"So?" he finally asked, gaining her attention again. "What would you like as your reward?"

Yes, his tone still held a shade of amusement, as did his sly smile, but he was quite serious in his inquiry. However, the girl shook her head and leaned up to place a soft kiss onto his lips.

"You said last night that I'm yours... that's the best reward I could ever get."

His humor now faded away leaving a warm expression on his face, and his hand soon abandoned her silky locks to settle onto her cheek.

"If you keep saying things like that, it might go to my head." he replied somewhat in jest.

His ear twitched in pleasure at the sound of her giggle; it was beyond him how she could sometimes be so mature and so childish at the same time. Not that he complained... it was an odd, but intriguing combination. For once, in a very long time, he felt that everything was perfect. Little did he know that fate had decided to put their love to the test soon enough.

Over the course of the following month, Nozomi had finally started becoming more and more like a regular female. Apparently that most intimate sexual knowledge had been what her personality lacked in order to start developing harmoniously. Kurama himself didn't find her curiosity to be bothersome in any way; if anything, he was quite relieved that she had taken so fast and so well to his body, just as he had taken to hers. With most of his attention focused on her, he had even given up on thievery for now. On that particular night he was seated near a fire with Nari, staring silently into the flames.

"You know... the men are wondering when we're going to go plundering again."

With his ear twitching at the elder youkai's words, Kurama briefly clenched his jaw as though he was trying to brace himself for his own words.

"Nari... I'm thinking of quitting this."

Utterly taken aback by that, the dark haired youkai stared at him, unable to even speak for a while.

"I didn't think I'd live to see the day when _you_ would want to stop being a thief."

His amused tone convinced the fox-youkai to avert his amber gaze toward him.

"I'm as serious as I have ever been, Nari."

"I know..." he nodded with a fatherly smile. "And I'm glad you decided as such. To tell you the truth, I was hoping Nozomi would influence you this way."

Exhaling an amused huff, Kurama returned his focus to the dancing flames.

"I'll be taking her back to her parents tomorrow."

"Yes, I think that would be for the best at the moment. There are still numerous hunters after your head; if you're going to try and make peace with the Reikai, she'd be placed in too much danger."

Falling silent, Kurama then took to thinking of how he was going to explain it all to the girl. He expected quite a resistance to his decision, but he was determined to not back down. The last thing he wanted was to see her injured or dead. Finally standing, he stepped into his tent only to be utterly stunned when his mind grasped the fact that Nozomi had slapped him. He definitely hadn't expected it, given that even with barely any force behind it she'd managed to turn his head. When he averted his gaze to her with the intention of asking her just what it was that she was trying to do, her frown, the sorrow in her eyes and the tears flooding her face told him everything.

"...You were listening?"

"Was even one of the words you said to me true?" she snapped back.

Exhaling a soft sigh he silently approached her; when she tried to recoil he reached out and grasped her arm, pulling her into a relentless embrace. He barely held back a sigh of relief when she didn't try to move away a second time, instead wrapping her arms around his torso as if her life depended on that.

"Every single one."

His cheek burned not so much from the slap itself, as it seemed she couldn't bring herself to put any serious force behind it despite her anger, but from the fact that he had indeed had a fleeting thought of keeping it all a secret from her, and now felt guilty for it.

"Then why...? Why would you send me back?"

"You don't miss your family in the least?" he asked, with a measure of astonishment in his tone.

"Of course I do... but... but I don't want to leave you."

Sighing again, Kurama placed a loving kiss to the side of her head.

"This is no easier for me, by any means... however..."

Pausing for a moment, he gingerly clasped her face in his hands, thumbing away her tears.

"I want you at my side forever... and I can't do that with all those hunters on my tail. You'll be safer with them than with me."

His heart sank when he saw the frail mask of calm she had put on crumble before his very eyes. Once more thumbing away her tears he leaned down to claim her lips, prior to lightly pressing his forehead to hers.

"I _will_ come for you... if it's the last thing I do, I will come for you again."


End file.
